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The Royal Crowns: England

As well as the official crowns of England, which have just been described, there has often been in recent times a second or state crown, and this, although it has in general design followed the pattern of the official crown, has been much more elaborately ornamented, and in it has been set and reset some of the historic gems possessed by our nation. The fact that these state crowns have in turn been denuded of their jewels, accounts for the fact that the old settings of some of them still exist.

Charles II.'s state crown is figured in Sir Edward Walker's account of his coronation, but the illustration of it is of such an elementary character that little reliance can be placed on it: the actual setting of this crown, however, was the property of the late Lord Amherst of Hackney, and the spaces from which the great ruby and the large sapphire-both of which are now in King George V.'s state crown-have been taken, are clearly seen. James II.'s state crown, which is very accurately figured in Sandford's account of his coronation, and some of the jewels of which are still in the Tower, also had this great ruby as its centre ornament. In Sir George Nayler's account of the coronation of George IV., there is a figure of his so-called "New Crown," the arches of which are composed of oak-leaf sprays with acorns, and the rim adorned with laurel sprays. The setting of this crown also belonged to the late Lord Amherst of Hackney, and so does another setting of small state queen's crown, the ownership of which is doubtful. William IV. appears to have had a very beautiful state crown, with arches of laurel sprays and a cross at the top with large diamonds. It is figured in Robson's British Herald, published in 1830 (Fig. 19). 800.00 CROWN OF WILLIAM IV. a There is one other crown of great interest which, since the time of James Sixth of Scotland and First of England, forms part of the regalia. This is the crown of Scotland, which is among the most ancient pieces of state jewellery which exist in the Kingdom.